Desaparecidos rattle bones at Coachella

Conor Oberst’s old punk band Desaparecidos played old material as well as new jams from an upcoming album to a reasonably-sized crowd in the Gobi tent Sunday afternoon. They haven’t released an album since 2002’s Read Music/Speak Spanish and have only played a few select shows since that time. I took a seat in the middle of […]

by Sandra B. Olinger

April 13, 2015

Conor Oberst’s old punk band Desaparecidos played old material as well as new jams from an upcoming album to a reasonably-sized crowd in the Gobi tent Sunday afternoon. They haven’t released an album since 2002’s Read Music/Speak Spanish and have only played a few select shows since that time.

I took a seat in the middle of the Gobi on the faded grass and took in their hour-long set, the bass reverberating through my ribcage on a couple of especially loud tracks.

The sound was what I expected going in. A punk band fronted by Oberst’s very distinct voice. If there’s ever a Lifetime Achievement Award at Coachella, Oberst has to nab that one having performed at the festival in so many different capacities (as Jenny Lewis noted in her set just an hour later).

Words: Mark E. Ortega

Photography: Monique Hernandez